BACOLOD CITY – A Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) official has called on sugar mills across the country to increase trucking allowances for farmers amid rising fuel costs.
In a statement issued Wednesday, SRA Board Member David Andrew Sanson, the planters’ representative, said he formally appealed to sugar mills through a letter dated March 24.
“We respectfully request for your management to consider increasing the trucking allowance for farmers delivering sugarcane to your mill to help offset fuel costs until such time that fuel prices normalize,” Sanson said.
Based on SRA data, 13 of the country’s 25 sugar mills are located on Negros Island, which accounts for more than 60 percent of national sugar production.
In parts of Negros Occidental, diesel prices have surged to as high as PHP125 to PHP126 per liter as of Wednesday.
Sanson attributed the spike in fuel prices to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, noting that the increase has significantly raised the cost of transporting sugarcane from farms to mills.
“This has placed a substantial financial burden on farmers and is threatening the continuity of sugarcane supply,” he said.
He urged mill operators to consider “humanitarian reasons” in granting higher trucking allowances, emphasizing the need for industry-wide cooperation.
“We are all trying to survive this crisis, and I hope the sugar industry stakeholders will come together to help each other and ensure the future of our beloved sugar industry,” Sanson added.
Meanwhile, in Mindanao, companies such as Busco Sugar Milling Co. Inc. and Crystal Sugar Co. Inc., both based in Bukidnon, have begun extending temporary fuel support or adjustments to sugarcane planters to help ease the impact of rising fuel prices.|PNA
